Dining

Lead server Chad Hosier is leaving R Bistro (888 Massachusetts Ave., 423-0312) for Chicago and a job at The Girl & the Goat ... Zing at the Canal has closed ...The old-school New Orleans cocktails such as the St. Charles, the Vieux Carre, and the Rossignac have disappeared from t

On Saturday, we snacked on Idaho Nachos—seasoned waffle fries loaded with bacon, tomatoes, and Colby Jack—at Granite City Food & Brewery (150 W. 96th St., 218-7185). Of course, we didn’t stop there. We dipped ciabatta into onion-spiked spinach-artichoke dip and indulged in one of the signature items, grilled salmon presented Oscar(esque)-style with crabmeat, asparagus, hollandaise sauce, and broccoli. Bla

The Wild Hibiscus Mimosa at Zest! Exciting Food Creations (1134 E. 54th St., 466-1853), with a whole edible hibiscus flower waiting sweetly at the bottom of the glass. The Paul Bunyan taco: addictive ground beef chili scooped into a shell, topped with the works, and given a sassy kick of Texas Brushfire hot sauce at

Millersville Cafe Market (5490 N. Emerson Ave.) kicks off its summer season on June 2. Every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. through August 25, tables and chairs will be set out for folks to enjoy their hot tamales from 3 in 1 Restaurant, crepes from 3 Days in Paris, Confectioneiress cupcakes, and food from a dozen other local vendors. But this unconventional take on a summer market—set up in a parking lot at the corner of Emerson Way and Fall Creek Parkway to attract folks on their drive home—is less a farmer’s market and more an outdoor food court. “We’d never seen a farmer’s market where you could sit down,” says market master Tom Eggers. So he started one.

Brad Stevens getting carryout at Cafe Patachou at 49th and Penn on Friday, unhassled by the busy lunch crowd but grinning to fans who made eye contact. The Butler basketball coach was talking on his phone as he left with his chicken salad Patachou, presumably seconds after reading the hilarious message to cell-phone addicts at the counter (pictured).

The spicy chicken chipotle taco at The Tamale Place (5242 Rockville Rd., 248-9771). Chocolate cheesecake at Long’s Bakery (1453 N. Tremont St., 632-3741; 2301 E. Southport Rd., 783-1442): Eclair-dough crust with a custardy filling, topped with the same chocolate frosting that encases the bakery’s chocolate doughnuts.   T

On Friday—within weeks of the grand opening—scores of casual diners packed the tables of Fire by the Monon (6523 Ferguson St., 602-8590), in the former L’Explorateur spot. Servers at the tucked-away Broad Ripple restaurant seemed a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, their style resembling a sort of hospitality triage as they rushed glasses and plates around the noisy dining rooms. We made quick wo

Pei Wei Asian Diner (6159 N. Keystone Ave., 205-9380) opened on Monday in the Glendale Shopping Center, offering a menu of eastern dishes inspired by food from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The casual-restaurant chain was developed by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in 2000 as a smaller version of their already popular restaurant. Edamame and Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls are listed among the starters. Mains include Japanese Teriyaki and Korean BBQ, with plenty of gluten-free options and a kid’s menu. And just to avoid any embarrassment, the correct pronunciation is “pay way.”

There is a lot of nowhere in indiana. I know this. I've seen it, grown up in it, lived in it. And right now my wife Michelle and I are poised at its edge, in search of the best breaded pork tenderloin sandwich in the state of Indiana.

What makes this Columbus institution really sweet is the counter-side charm of Wilma Hare and her fellow soda jerks, who will pull you an ice cream soda the way it was in 1900 and serve it with a side of sass: “When that ice cream hits the carbonation, it will explode like a volcano. And I will laugh at the look of panic on your face.”